


Toss to the Ace

by chaostheory08



Series: Haikyuu After the Match [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: College, Feel-good, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2019-02-02 00:12:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12715791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaostheory08/pseuds/chaostheory08
Summary: Asahi has no plans to go to college. But what if opportunity knocks on his door?





	Toss to the Ace

**Author's Note:**

> I love Asahi. He's arguably my favorite character out of the whole series. I love everything about him - character, seiyuu (Yoshimasa Hosoya is everything to me), stage actor (Justin Tomimori is bae), especially how sweet and timid he is. So I had to do this. 
> 
> Please keep in mind that this is PURE FICTION. Suspend your disbelief for a few minutes. I have absolutely no clue on how scouting works or if Sendai University (or any other university) does what I have them do in this piece of fiction. All I know is Akiteru mentions "going back to Sendai" in S02E14 so I'm thinking he attended university in that area and eventually found work there. Also, Sendai University specializes in physical education. Therefore, it works for my purposes. NGL, I was inspired by Makoto Tachibana and the direction his character took in "Free! Eternal Summer." So yeah, don't murder me if things seem far-fetched in this fic. Remember, it's fiction. I've read more outrageous things. ;-) But of course, I own up to any grammatical mistakes. English isn't my first language.
> 
> *gets off soap box* 
> 
> I just want good things to happen for my sweetheart Asahi! I hope you do too.

“Ah Tsukishima-kun, one more thing.” Akiteru Tsukishima sat back down as his thesis adviser caught his attention. He was so close to his Nutrition degree that he hung on to his adviser’s ever word, no matter how trivial.

“Yes, sir? Anything else that I need to work on?” he asked, flipping open his notebook in case he needed to take more notes.

“No, it’s not about your thesis,” Naruse-sensei said, folding his hands on top of his desk. “I am aware that you play volleyball, correct?”

Akiteru nodded. “I played since middle school and am on a local team,” he explained. “My brother is currently a middle blocker at Karasuno High School and they recently made it to Nationals.” Naruse-sensei did not ask but he couldn’t help but be proud of Kei.

“Ah yes, beating Shiratorizawa,” the teacher nodded. “I saw reruns of the match on TV. My granddaughter is a big fan of the sport.” They shared a smile. Akiteru could talk volleyball all day, if permitted. “You were from Karasuno too, right?”

“Yes, I was in the same team as the famous ‘Little Giant’ but…” he sighed. It was not one of his prouder moments but being in the same team as the player who brought Miyagi to the national sports world was also a good thing.

Naruse-sensei sensed that Akiteru was uncomfortable with the topic so he went straight to the point. “It seems that you are somewhat familiar with Karasuno’s current players. I was wondering what you know about their #3 player, Asahi Azumane.”

 

**************************

 

The Karasuno boys volleyball team was still reeling from the news that one of their own, setter Tobio Kageyama was invited to attend the all-Japan youth training camp. Even the usually stoic 1st year had a semblance of a genuine smile on his face, his cheeks pink, eyes glowing. Everyone was happy for him and believed that it was very much deserved.

“It will cement our status as a powerhouse school once again,” their adviser Takeda-sensei said proudly. “Kageyama-kun, make us proud.”

They were currently training hard for their upcoming nationals tournament. Ever since beating Shiratorizawa, a hard-earned 5-set epic, everyone had changed for the better. The first years got along better; Yamaguchi’s jump floater serve percentage was on the rise, Tsukishima and Hinata were helping each other with read blocks and quicks, Kageyama training with other wing spikers for more attack combinations. Ennoshita was coming out of his shell, aiding Coach Ukai with strategies. Even Yachi was seen trying to do an underhand serve. Her previous attempts gave Hinata a black eye and the gym a broken window.

The third years were more committed now than ever before. They wanted to help their team place well in Nationals as their legacy. Sawamura, Sugawara, and Shimizu were all university-bound on top of their club activities. Azumane on the other hand, was just taking it all in, making memories with his fellow 3rd years. He knew Daichi and Suga were looking at Tokyo for further education.

Asahi’s own jump serve was getting better and better. He was no Oikawa or Kageyama but it became a formidable weapon after their away games. They’ve had practice matches with surrounding teams and the power behind his back attacks had been praised by their coaches. It was a shame that he honed these techniques during his final year at Karasuno. He was their ace but he was much stronger now. And with his current teammates, he was unstoppable.

He did dream of going to college. He wanted to make his parents proud of him. Their family ran a sweets shop in town for generations and being the only child, he was expected to take over. His parents had him late so they were a bit older than his friends’ parents. He wasn’t a bad student; he passed all his subjects with some difficulty - “Good thing Suga is patient enough with me” - so he knew he could do it. As much as he wanted to further his education, he understood that the money was tight. But he loved his small town and was content with staying.

“Azumane-kun, can I talk to you for a bit after school tomorrow?” Takeda-sensei asked as he helped clean up in the club room. Daichi and Suga stopped what they were doing to look at the pair. Asahi had a panicked look on his face. He was never called to a meeting with a teacher for something bad but he always thought of the worst in most situations. “Oh no, it’s nothing to be scared about, Azumane,” the teacher laughed. “Please see me before practice tomorrow.”

“May I ask what this is about?” he asked, wringing his large hands together. “So that I’ll be ready for it,” he said to himself.

“It’s about your plans after graduation,” Takeda-sensei with a smile on his face. “I am aware of your decision but do hear me out.”

His fellow third years were obviously eavesdropping. They both wanted the best for their friend. They knew that he was planning to stay in Miyagi and they were hoping he would at least continue to play volleyball.

“What do you think that is, Daichi?” Suga said, running a comb through his silver hair. “I’m curious.”

“Whatever that is, Takeda-sensei looked happy,” Daichi replied, zipping up his jacket. “I’m sure Asahi’s dying inside.” The captain and vice-captain laughed. “I do hope it’s something good.”

 

**************************

 

Asahi bit through all his fingernails while waiting for the final bell. He then dragged his feet to the conference room for his meeting with Takeda-sensei. The said teacher was already there, a pad of paper in front of him.

“Azumane-kun, please sit,” the teacher said with his signature warm smile. “This won’t be long. I’ll walk with you to the gym afterward.”

Asahi said down after his greetings. His hands were cold and he was so close to sitting on them for warmth. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Wrong? No, it’s quite the opposite,” Takeda chuckled. “I assume your decision to not go to college still stands?” Asahi nodded. “I understand that but is that really what you want?”

A better serve and spike were not the only things he learned from his final high school volleyball season. He also learned to trust himself and express his feelings more truthfully. “N-no, not really,” he said. “Someday, I would like to see what else is out there for me. When Daichi and Suga talk about their plans, I can’t help but wonder…” he spaced off a little bit before realizing what he was saying, confidence leaving him. “But I am content with what’s here and now, sensei. I’ll be fine.”

“Azumane-kun, there’s nothing wrong with that. Please calm down,” Takeda said. “But I am happy to know that you are open to it.” Asahi nodded.

“My parents want it for me too. But the business,” he heaved a sigh. “We cannot afford it right now, sensei.”

There. That was _the_ reason.

Takeda paused for a bit. He was excited but he needed to tread lightly with the information that he was about to impart. When he got the call last week, he couldn’t wait to tell Azumane and the rest of the team. But the person on the other line begged for a few days as they collected more information. Yesterday, he was contacted again asking if he could arrange a meeting between them and Azumane.

“How about I tell you that we got a call from a nearby university asking for you,” Takeda said slowly, carefully choosing his words. “They saw your performance at the Spring High-Miyagi Prefecture Representative Playoffs and they were impressed.”

Asahi lost it after Takeda-sensei’s first sentence. _We got a call from a nearby university asking for you_. “What?” Asahi said to himself. But what came out was, “Why me?”

Takeda-sensei was mid-sentence when he heard Asahi’s reaction. He tended to babble when excited. “Azumane-kun, why not you?” Takeda smiled warmly, itching to pat Asahi’s hand. The large boy looked like he was about to fall off his chair.  “You are a very good player. Any team would be fortunate to have you. Have a little confidence in yourself.”

“Sensei, I…” it still wasn’t clear to Asahi. This was the furthest away from his expectations.

“Let me make it clear, Azumane-kun, that this is not a scouting. Not exactly,” Takeda backtracked. Asahi calmed down a little bit. “Of course, your performance and status as the team’s ace caught their eye. You can join their volleyball club but you are not obligated to join their team.”

“I… I don’t understand, sensei,” Asahi said. “I don’t have the best grades…”

“I guess it’s better if they talk to you directly about it,” Takeda said. “They’re requesting a meeting between you and your parents, if possible.” He pulled out a printed letter from a folder and showed it to his student. “From what I understand, they are offering a partial scholarship. I’m not sure of specifics but they are open to you playing for their college team. If anything, you can continue playing volleyball while continuing your education.”

Asahi skimmed the letter in front of him. “Sendai University?!” It was the only university in their region that specialized in Physical Education. It was a huge deal. _Dear Mr. and Mrs. Azumane,_ it said. _Your son has exceptional talent in sports, specifically in volleyball and we are interested in nurturing not only that but his interest in educating future generations of players… based on his performance at this most recent tournament, we would gladly accept him into our team, if he so wishes._

“Sensei, how did they know about…” he started to ask but then remembered the form he submitted to Takeda-sensei about his future plans. He planned to go into coaching, possibly at Karasuno under Coach Ukai after he graduated. “I admit, I did look at Sendai University because of their Exercise Education for Children Department but I knew I could never afford it.” It was just a dream to Asahi to be accepted to such a school.

_We look forward to meeting you and your son. We are hoping for a positive response._

Takeda-sensei had the brightest smile on his face. Asahi was so overwhelmed, there were tears prickling his eyes. He wanted this to happen so badly.

“Azumane-kun, this is a big deal,” Takeda-sensei said. “The decision is ultimately yours but I recommend you consider going for it. This is a great opportunity.” As the teacher adviser, he couldn’t be prouder. His students were getting the recognition they so very deserved.

“Sensei, thank you. I don’t know what to say,” Asahi said, letting a few tears escape. “My mother will be so happy.”

“I’m sure she will be. Come on, it’s time for practice,” the teacher said, standing up and handing the student a box of tissues. “I won’t tell your teammates about this until you make a decision. All their contact information is on that letter so I’ll leave it with you and your parents.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you so much,” Asahi said, bowing low.

 

**************************

 

Shortly before they were to head out to Tokyo for their first round match, Takeda-sensei gathered the whole team around before they started practice. Asahi joined them up front, facing his teammates, a slight blush coloring his cheeks.

“I have news,” Takeda-sensei started. Coach Ukai looked like a proud father.

“Ah, don’t tell me Asahi-san is leaving us!” Hinata said, jumping into conclusions. “You can’t do that, Asahi-san!”

“Shut up, Hinata, you dumbass,” Kageyama said, hitting him on the back of the head.

“Will you let the man finish?” Daichi huffed. “I’m sorry, sensei. Please continue.”

“Like I said, I have news. _Good_ news,” Takeda opened the floor to Asahi.

Their ace fidgeted a little bit, unused to the attention. “Uhm… well, I received a generous offer from Sendai University…”

“You were scouted, Asahi-san?” Noya interrupted, eyes bugging out in amazement. Hinata and Tanaka followed in his excitement which prompted another scolding from Daichi.

“Ah, no… not exactly,” Asahi continued, rubbing the back of his neck. “As I’ve said before, I had no plans to go to college. But now, that’s changed. They saw our matches and for some reason, offered me a partial scholarship…”

Before he could finish that sentence, Suga had launched himself towards Asahi, wrapping his arms around his taller friend’s neck. Daichi wasn’t too far behind. Noya and Tanaka had their jaws to the ground while the rest of the team looked on with pride. Yacchi saw Shimizu wipe a stray tear away.

“Boys, boys…” Coach Ukai tried breaking up the group, “Let him breathe.”

Suga was still hanging around Asahi’s neck but the ace was able to continue. “Thank you, everyone. I still have to pass their tests but…”

“That’s pretty much for formalities,” Takeda-sensei added.

Asahi smiled. “I will do my very best to prove that this opportunity is not wasted on me,” he said with confidence. “I may not be good enough for their official team yet but surely, their volleyball club could use an extra wing spiker.” That earned a laugh from everyone. “Also, I believe I have Tsukishima’s older brother to thank.”

Tsukishima blinked. His brother had told him about it. Vaguely. And it was he who asked around on their behalf. “I knew something was up,” the middle blocker said, adjusting his glasses. “I had no idea that it was this big. Congratulations, Azumane-san. It is well-deserved.” He said that in all sincerity.

“Thank you,” Asahi said. “Thank you very much.” He tried his hardest not to cry but it was hard when Suga, Shimizu, Noya, Tanaka, and Hinata had tears in their eyes. “It’s because of you all. You made this possible.”

Suga and Daichi squeezed him a bit harder. Their words were insufficient to express how happy they were for their friend. They loved him like a brother and it made their hearts so happy to know that Asahi would not be left behind. The three of them would continue to fly and explore what was out there.

Being on the national stage was a dream of them. Now, they were marching headlong towards it. For Asahi, this opportunity opened doors that would allow him to move further forward. The sky really is the limit. And there’s no going back.

 

******************************************

 

I can't wait for the Asahi Nendoroid pre-order!!!


End file.
